Danielle Esposito, of the 400 block of Arlene Street in Bulls Head, faces felony assault and misdemeanor criminal facilitation charges in connection with the June 17 baseball-bat beating that sent Luis Maltez to the hospital.

As authorities tell it, Ms. Esposito drove the two alleged assailants -- Joseph Sweeney, 23, and Albijond Kaja, 28 -- to and from the scene of the attack, and provided the baseball bat used to beat Maltez.

Maltez, 38, was pummeled and robbed of $200 while walking home, prosecutors said. Maltez's head was split open, requiring 18 stitches to close the wound.

Police allege that Sweeney uttered racial epithets -- "(Expletive) Mexicans, this is my country!" and "I'm waiting outside, you (expletive) Mexican!" -- minutes before the attack, after confronting Maltez and his roommate at a convenience store at the BP Amoco gas station on the corner of Richmond Avenue and Victory Boulevard.

Though prosecutors charged both men with assault as a hate crime, they did not do the same for Ms. Esposito.

"While this investigation is ongoing, based on the information that our investigation has gathered to date, we are unable to present hate crimes charges against Ms. Esposito," said William J. Smith, a spokesman for District Attorney Daniel Donovan. "Currently she faces a serious, violent felony charge which carries a penalty of up to 7 years in prison."

Ms. Esposito was arrested this morning and arraigned in Stapleton Criminal Court where bail was set at $1000. Her next court appearance is Sept. 16